Alan Brown

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The relationship between ECVET, AEROVET and work
as an aircraft fitter Alan Brown Institute for
Employment Research, University of
Warwick European Conference on Educational
Research, Vienna, Austria 28 30th September
2009

• Alan Brown
• Associate Director, TLRP

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Leonardo Project Developments seen through lens
of TLRP Higher Skills Development at Work

• Leonardo Project insights (summary) followed by a
  broader interpretation
• model to assess competencies by describing the
  detailed and specific individual work
  performance
• trainers and skilled workers to certify their
  confidence in the work of the apprentices in a
  qualitative, performance-orientated scheme
• overcomes limitations of early competence-based
  systems (e.g. initial NVQ system in England,
  Wales and Northern Ireland very general
  competences open to very different
  interpretations now trying to get more
  specification more appropriate level of
  aggregation)
• Use of Typical Professional Tasks

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• ECVET is a system of accumulation and transfer
  of credits designed for VET in Europe.
• enables recording of the learning achievements /
  learning outcomes of individuals engaged on
  vocational learning pathways
• including recognition of prior learning and
  achievements (including if acquired in different
  countries, in formal VET or non-formal contexts).
  
• ECVET is designed to interface with national
  systems and arrangements for credit accumulation
  and transfer
• how units or modules achieved in one national
  context could be mapped against each other and
  the ECVET criteria.

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• so if the TPT can inform cross-national unit
  development this should help us understand issues
  around the most appropriate level of aggregation
  of tasks to interface with the ECVET system.
• It may also be possible to look at shared TPTs
  in single company contexts.
• UK learning outcomes already analysed against an
  industrial standard national occupational
  standards (NOS)
• NOS provide details of (employer) expectations
  of the standards employees are expected to reach
  in, for example, maintenance overhaul in bays or
  maintenance on components of live aircraft
• view of competent person in the workplace
  applicable to when a person moves from job to job
  or in an apprenticeship
• general skills read data etc. but in initial
  phase (performing engineering operations broad
  competencies)

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• apprenticeship broad competencies plus academic
  side (opportunities for progression)
• broad range of academic goals and occupational
  competence (not just narrow LOs)
• on the job training for adults - when undertake
  a new role and have evidence of a skills gap -
  working with other experienced workers or
  external training or combination
• assessment (formal) performance evidence only
  need to link to
• SEMTA standards if want a qualification (but can
  also just work to the companys own standards)
• adult retraining etc (from semi-skilled, some
  adult apprenticeships)
• apprenticeships basics not necessarily related
  to tasks about resins etc. general training
  normally up to 26 weeks 4 days practical

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• apprentices produce test pieces etc. similar to
  Germany
• SEMTA expert accept different standards
  between and within with companies and countries
  experience of different functions etc. and final
  product - possible flair in different areas
• RR globally 32 job profiles want to get down to
  2 mechatronics and one other standardized
  approach to training grade higher with trainer
  skills world class expertise composites of
  fusion
• want general skills and specialists
• level 3 engineering maintenance but different
  units
• Airbus competency framework
• can get additional units
• NOS as the minimum standard

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• all young workers have to reach a certain
  minimum standard of competence to be recognised
  as a newly qualified skilled worker (landscape of
  national occupational standards learning
  outcomes ECVET) what do we want a 19 year old
  aircraft fitter to be able to do in terms of
  skills, knowledge and understanding)
• Can we chunk training units to recognize
  training for hydraulic systems etc (not full
  competence)
• ECVET transfer, accumulation and recognition
  of learning outcomes could be a lightweight
  process valuable form of recontextualisation
  most important learning outcomes may not be
  capable of being specified in advance

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• ECVET pilot projects
• developing networks / partnerships that will
  enable credit transfer (involving the necessary
  competent institutions)
• agreeing on the target group (the learners) for
  the work of the partnership (based on
  occupations, job profiles, working tasks)
• identifying qualifications and programmes in
  the countries that correspond to this target
  group
• use knowledge/skills and competence descriptors
  to understand learning outcomes from another
  context / country.

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TLRP lens Factors which facilitate Higher Skills
Development

• engagement with challenging work
• interactions at work
• knowledge at work
• self-directed learning at work
• identities at work
• supporting the learning of others
• ability to switch between different contexts
  (recontextualisation).

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Leonardo Project Developments seen through lens
of TLRP Higher Skills Development at Work

• Typical Professional Tasks Review 1
• demanding (training) content linked to
  challenging work
• highly regulated transparent reasons for
  standardised procedures
• interactions with trainers and expert workers
  (both of whom generally have strong occupational
  and organisational identities)
• substantive knowledge base that needs to be
  mastered (although even at this stage individuals
  and/or company may be getting sense of outcome
  all skilled fitters routine or key role)
• recognition that if want to have challenging work
  then need to become self-directed in their
  learning

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Leonardo Project Developments seen through lens
of TLRP Higher Skills Development at Work

• Typical Professional Tasks Review 2
• identities at work access to high status
  challenging work qualified skilled worker
  communities of practice possibilities of
  progression glamour of aircraft
• value of supporting the learning of others
  institutionalised by Airbus
• ability to switch between different contexts
  (recontextualisation icing on the cake move
  across national contexts already
  institutionalised can get official ECVET
  approval)
• ask not what ECVET can do for Airbus training but
  what Airbus training can do for ECVET!

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Engagement with challenging work

• Two groups need to reach different standards in
  training in order to fill different types of jobs
  (because of the organisation of work)
• Aerospace skilled fitter routine or key role
• Lesson learned reifying generic levels makes
  little sense
• Same standard but for how long?
• All countries sort their trainees according to
  prospective organisation of work
• Knowledge at work mastery of a knowledge-base
  itself as a transferable skill

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Self-directed learning

• Room for personal agency
• HE value of skill set of students who had put in
  organised effort to their studies time
  management focus
• HE personal development getting on with a wide
  range of people social networks also finds a
  place in the labour market
• Work taking advantage of learning opportunities

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Supporting the learning of others

• Complex team-work and/or knowledge-intensive work
• Companies using a develomental view of expertise
  already identify this and in some cases give
  explicit rewards
• Importance of feed-back for everyone interested
  in improving performance immediate informal
  formal review etc.
• But need to learn to give feed-back well

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Continuing challenges company competency
framework

• At any stage we might need to enhance our skills,
  knowledge and understanding in the following
  areas
• Task Performance
• Role Performance
• Situational Awareness and Understanding
• Teamwork
• Personal and Group Development
• Decision-Making and Problem-Solving
• Academic Knowledge and Skills
• Judgement.

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Skills development policy should

• Focus on individual development and
  organisational performance
• Emphasise importance of supporting the learning
  of others
• Recognise informal learning (challenging work)
• Involve individual and social processes and
  outcomes (emotional labour)
• Promote active engagement of individual as a
  learner

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Skills development policy should

• Utilise timely high quality feedback and support
• Be systematically developed (not leave to will
  occur naturally)
• Recognise prior experience and learning
• Engage with valued forms of knowledge
• Link to an individuals broader life goals
• Useful first step use a developmental view of
  expertise not a binary view of competence

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• aerospace technical competence, but also ability
  to support learning of others and change ways of
  working
• education does not need generic targets 50 level
  4 etc.
• Level 3 units 4 mandatory units (regulations
  drawings working effectively reinstating work
  area on completion of activities) plus 4 6
  units from 15 pathways (349 units in total)
• needs to deliver breadth and depth of learning
  across the levels competence alone will be
  insufficient
• premium on learning to learn, supporting learning
  of others and creativity